City officials in Mount Airy, North Carolina, declared a state of emergency Aug. 1 after torrential rain triggered widespread flooding that damaged public and private property throughout the community, according to a declaration signed by the city's mayor.
The declaration covers all areas within Mount Airy's jurisdiction, where excessive rainfall caused major damage to roads, utilities, public facilities and private property, creating hazardous conditions that threaten residents' health and safety.
City departments and personnel have been directed to assist with emergency response, and residents are urged to avoid flooded roadways and hazardous areas. The order will remain in effect until it is rescinded.
Surry County, where Mount Airy is located, issued its own emergency declaration effective Aug. 1 at 10 p.m., citing extreme rainfall that caused flash flooding, particularly in the eastern part of the county. The county's declaration states that public safety authorities risked being unable to maintain order or provide adequate protection for lives and property, and it directs all county law enforcement and emergency personnel to enforce the order.
City Services and Closures
Mount Airy officials said Aug. 2 that essential services, including sanitation pickup, will continue on their regular schedule in the coming week, though brush collection has been suspended, according to a Facebook post. City crews are working to evaluate and clean parks and greenways in the coming days, with updates to be posted on social media and the city's website.By Aug. 3, the city said departments were continuing repair work and that Riverside Park and most of the Granite City Greenway remain closed. Residents were directed instead to Westwood Park and the section of the Granite City Greenway between Veterans Park and Big Lots. Mount Airy Parks and Recreation had earlier announced Sunday that Riverside, Rowe and Tharrington parks, along with the entire greenway, were shut down for safety reasons following the heavy rains. The city has set up a phone line, 336-786-3501, for storm-related questions.
The flooding followed a flash flood warning issued by the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Virginia, late Aug. 1, which was active until early Aug. 2, according to Surry County Emergency Services. The warning said law enforcement reported 6 to 7 inches of rain had fallen, with flooding reported on Shoals Road, and named Mount Airy among the locations expected to see flash flooding.
A subsequent flood watch covering Surry and surrounding counties in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia remained in effect from the evening of Aug. 2 into early Aug. 3, warning that a slow-moving storm system could bring rainfall rates high enough to produce flash flooding.